Holding Back
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 17 of my post "Justice League"(2017) series. After some new readings from the Motherbox, Bruce has designed a new training simulation. Throughout the course of the battle, the team is tested and concerns come to light. A fear of Clark's comes to light and he and Diana have a heart to heart confronting it.


Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

Aquaman hit the ground hard and went scraping across the grass and dirt beneath him. He used his trident to stop his momentum. He slowly got to his feet just as Flash ran past him. Within a few seconds, he felt a thud up against his chest and was back down to the ground. He turned to see Flash lying a few feet to his left.

"Good job," Aquaman commented as he once again got to his feet and watched as Flash shook the cobwebs free and tried to get to his feet as well.

"Incoming!" Cyborg's cry was too late as he crashed at Aquaman's feet and took him back out.

"Sheesh!" Aquaman rolled over and looked around him.

"This is getting ridiculous," Flash commented as he reached down and helped Cyborg to his feet.

"I'll say," Cyborg agreed as the two turned to see Wonder Woman trying her hand against their opponent. She lasted the longest of the three but soon find herself sliding backward and crashing into Aquaman's arms as he steadied her.

"You three okay?" Wonder Woman turned to the group.

"Define 'okay'," Flash replied as they all three turned just in time to see a blast of fire coming their way.

"Let me in," Superman turned to Batman as they watched their fellow League members in battle.

"Not yet," Batman responded as he monitored a screen on a panel on his wrist.

"Come on... they need our help," Superman insisted.

"They need to be tested first," Batman replied, side glancing over at Superman who pressed himself up against a glowing blue forcefield.

"Relax... I'm monitoring everything, they will not be hurt."

Superman didn't respond instead focusing on the simulation Batman had created for the League to train against. He eyed their opponent. To look at, it was simply a humanoid form, an android of sorts. However, with what Bruce had told him earlier he knew it was indued with powers similar to both his own and Steppenwolf. He stepped back just as Wonder Woman charged.

Wonder Woman jumped over the android, landing behind it. She went to slash it with her sword but it swiftly turned and grabbed her arm. They were locked in a test of strength. Wonder Woman felt herself sinking into the ground beneath her as the android pressed down on her with all of its strength. She felt relief once Aquaman's trident clanged off the head of the robot and knocked it off balance.

"I'm tired of you," Aquaman said as he started landing several hits with both of ends of the trident. He swung a hard shot that was blocked and the energy of it knocked him back to the ground.

"Let's see how fast you are," Flash said as he ran up and started hitting rapid fire punches to the back of the robot. Flash smiled as it seemed that he was doing some damage. His smile faded when he glanced up to see two red eyes staring back at him. He wasn't able to move in time before a blast of heat vision hit him in the chest and knocked him to the ground.

"My turn," Cyborg said as he sent a pulsing blast out of his hand into the robot that jerked it back violently. He hit another with the same effect. He tried one more but the robot seemed to steady itself and shrug it off. Cyborg continued to fire but the android started

approaching him and he found himself up against the forcefield just as the android grabbed him by the throat.

"Enough!" came a voice from behind the android and Cyborg looked down to see arms wrapped around the waist of his opponent. He recognized the bracelets and smiled. Within a few seconds, the android was flying through the air away from him and he dropped to a knee.

Wonder Woman turned as she let her grip loose to see the robot flying the length of the field in which they had chosen as their training ground. The android hit the ground with a thud, leaving a small crater in its wake. Wonder Woman retrieved her sword and ran over to it. She stood over it and started to stab down. She was hit with a hard blast of cold air in the chest and rolled clear. She clutched at her exposed skin as the ice had formed over it.

Wonder Woman got to her feet just as the android reached her and hit her with a hard punch that rocked her. She felt woozy as she stumbled backward. Another punch later and she was down on one knee. She glanced up in time to see Cyborg swatted to the side before she was hit with a knee the knocked her to her backside. She started to stand just as Aquaman was grabbed and slammed hard into a charging Flash.

"Guys..." Wonder Woman said as she moved to stand in front of her fallen comrades. She was about to take yet another punch when suddenly the android fell to the ground. She glanced around to see the forcefield was down and Superman was standing over her. He reached down and helped her to her feet.

(****)

"Bruce... that was too far!" Clark said, attempting to keep his voice down but failing.

"I'm fine... we are fine," Diana spoke from her spot leaning on the large table in their main hall.

"I'm a little sore," Barry added as he rubbed the back of his neck. All eyes turned to him and he shrugged.

"I shut it down before anyone was hurt," Bruce defended as he stood his ground with Clark a few inches in front of him.

"What did it prove?" Clark questioned.

"It was preparation," Bruce answered.

"Against what?" Clark asked. He glanced to the side to see Diana imploring him with her eyes to calm down and found himself stepping a few steps back from Bruce.

"What's coming," Bruce responded before he turned to pull up some charts on the large computer behind him. "Look."

"What am I seeing?" Clark asked.

"See this spike?" Bruce asked as he pointed at the screen.

"Yeah," Clark replied.

"That was Steppenwolf and the power he registered," Bruce informed the group as he looked from Clark to the others. He then turned back to the screen. "See that?"

"That's me?" Clark asked as he read the name listed beneath the spike.

"That's you," Bruce answered.

"So... who is that?" Barry asked as he stepped towards the screen and pointed to the spike next to Superman's. "Cause it's um... bigger than both of them.

"That..." Bruce began.

"That's the energy being picked up by the Motherbox," Victor spoke up from the back of the group. They turned to him.

"Exactly," Bruce agreed.

"So what does that mean?" Arthur asked as he leaned back in his chair.

"It means that whatever or whoever is searching for this box..." Bruce began. "Has power levels spiking roughly the equivalent of Steppenwolf and Clark put together.

"Yikes," Barry commented nervously scanning the group. He finally settled on Clark who had his head down and appeared to be in thought. After a few seconds, he turned to exit the room.

"Clark..." Bruce started to call to him but he was already out of the room. Diana started to go after him but Bruce stepped in front of her. "Let me?"

"Okay..." Diana responded with a nod. Bruce turned and headed in the direction Clark had left in. He wandered the large mansion until he reached an open back door. He stepped outside to see Clark standing at the edge of the field he had converted into their training area. Bruce started across the grass until he reached Clark's side.

"Clark..." Bruce began.

"Do you know for sure?" Clark cut him off with a question. He turned to Bruce. "That this thing is going to find the box?"

"I can't say for certain... but the readings continue to get stronger," Bruce answered. He saw the contemplative look in Clark's eyes as he nodded in response.

"Fire it up," Clark stated.

"What?" Bruce questioned.

"The simulation," Clark clarified with a point in front of them. "I need to face this thing."

"Listen..." Bruce began to respond.

"Please Bruce... just do it," Clark cut him off. Bruce nodded and reached down to his wrist, stepped back and activated the simulation.

"Thanks," Clark replied as he looked at Bruce through the forcefield. He then turned to see the android materialize in the middle of the field. He started to approach the robot to see it was doing the same. He didn't fully understand how Bruce had managed to replicate his powers or those of Steppenwolf. He didn't understand how the android was seemingly indestructible. What he did know was that he was not going to hold back.

Superman reached it just as it swung. He got his arm up to block and winced as he felt the power behind its strike. He countered with one of his own and found that even with speed the robot had managed to block his punch. They found themselves locked in a test of strength and wills. Superman felt the ground beneath him starting to give way and he felt his legs going weak.

"Ah!" Superman cried out as a knee hit him in the stomach. He doubled over as another one hit him under the chin and knocked him flat on his back. He looked up in time to see a robotic foot coming at his face with the intent to crush. He managed to duck out of the way and kicked the robot in the back tumbling it forward.

Superman got to his feet and glanced over to see the rest of the team had joined Bruce on the outside of the forcefield. The image was now mirrored from when he was watching them earlier. He felt a hard thud in his back and felt himself being propelled forward to the ground. He got to his feet quickly and turned with a wild backhand swing that knocked the robot through the air.

Superman charged it as it steadied itself and tackled it to the ground. He started to clubber it with hard punches from his position above it. The hits were hard enough to send concussions across the field but were not doing as much damage as Superman had hoped. He suddenly felt a grip on his throat as the android had grabbed him. He grabbed at the wrist of his opponent and attempted to pry it away from his throat.

Superman found his attempts to be unsuccessful and he was suddenly flying across the field. He landed on his back and quickly floated up to his feet just as a blast of heat vision similar to his own hit him in the chest. He looked down at the slight singe on his suit and then fired back with his own version. He hit the android in the chest but it kept coming.

Suddenly his opponent had reached him and hit him with a punch. Superman returned one of his own. Now they were like a couple of prizefighters throwing bombs in the last round. One after the other the two continued to trade punches. Superman tasted his blood and hesitated. It was not something he was accustomed to. The momentary hesitation was enough to miss his turn to punch and the android moved behind him grab him by the throat.

Superman resisted as best he could but he had been caught in a mostly defenseless position. He felt the grip on his neck tighten and suddenly he was seeing stars. He felt to a knee which allowed the grip to tighten. He was searching for a way to steady himself when he felt the vice loosen. Superman fell on his hands and turned to see Wonder Woman and Aquaman had both arms of the android while Cyborg was now hitting it with his pulse blasts to the chest.

Superman watched as the Flash came from the other side of the field and hit a punch to the chest of the robot that knocked it free from the grip of the others. It staggered backward and attempted to steady itself. Aquaman's trident and Wonder Woman's sword prevented it from doing so as they entered either side of it's now weakened core.

Superman rose to his feet and felt his strength returning. He had a hatred for the enemy in front of him. What it represented. Superman found himself almost on autopilot as he flew over and stopped in front of the android. He looked into it's glowing red eyes only a moment before he sunk both hands inside of its chest and ripped it into two pieces.

"Woah," Flash commented as he stepped back and took in the side of Superman holding Batman's robot in two pieces in either hand. He glanced around to see the rest of the group had similar responses.

"Kal..." Diana's voice barely registered with Superman as he came to his surroundings. He glanced and his hands and then dropped both pieces of the android. He turned to the group just as the forcefield went down. He saw Bruce approaching in the background.

"Interesting..." Bruce said as he reached the group. He glanced around at them. "Everyone okay?"

"Peachy," Arthur replied as he twirled his trident and then stabbed it into the dirt.

"What about you?" Bruce asked as he eyed Clark.

"I..." Clark began. "I'm sorry about your..."

"It's fine... that's what it was created for," Bruce replied as he eyed the remains.

"I don't know what came over me," Clark said, looking around embarrassedly at the eyes on him.

"You didn't hold back," Bruce responded. Clark furrowed his brow at him.

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

"Clark... he holds back... so do you," Bruce responded. Diana started to shake her head no. "You probably aren't even aware of it."

"So...how powerful are you two?" Barry asked.

"The levels spiked higher than anything we've seen," Victor chimed in holding out his palm with screen simulation of the level spikes they had been looking at before.

"I..." Clark started.

"It's okay, Clark," Bruce said as he reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah... more powerful... better for us," Arthur added with a shrug.

"Yeah," Clark replied as he contemplated the situation. He wasn't sure what to make of it. "I'm gonna head home... I'll... I'm going home."

Before anyone could speak Clark was in disappearing in the clouds above them. Diana's eyes followed him.

"What was that about?" Arthur asked the group. Before anyone could respond Diana had disappeared into the sky as well.

(****)

Diana eyed the fields below her. Smiling as she flew across them. She was starting to recognize the landscape and looked ahead of her to see the familiar home. She slowed down and hovered over it. She looked ahead at the windmill slowly chopping away in the distance and smiled. She made her way over to it to confirm her suspicions.

Diana saw him there. Standing still. Stoic. His mind clearly a million miles away. She landed softly next to him and saw that even this barely registered with him. Diana took a few steps to be even with him on the platform of the windmill.

"How'd you know I was here?" Clark asked as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Cause you told me once..." Diana began. "That when things get overwhelming you come here."

"I did..." Clark remembered. Diana took in the sight of him. She could see from his expression that he was in inner turmoil.

"It's okay," Diana said soothingly.

"Is it?" Clark asked.

"Yes..." Diana answered.

"I am not sure what to think," Clark confessed.

"You are frightened of your capabilities?" Diana questioned.

"Yeah," Clark answered with a nod.

"You don't have to be," Diana assured him. With her words, he finally turned his head to look at her.

"I don't know how not to be," Clark told her. She reached down to take his hand.

"I know..." Diana said with a nod. "But... deep down... haven't you always known?"

"Known?" Clark asked for clarification.

"That you were holding back," Diana clarified.

"I didn't think about it," Clark answered.

"Because you are good Kal," Diana stated. She saw the look in his eyes at her words. As if he didn't believe her, but she could tell that the words meant something to him. He started to speak but she shook her head. "You are Kal... I've lived a long time and not met many people with a heart like yours."

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Clark confessed.

"I know you don't," Diana replied, the affection evident in her voice.

"What came over me today... I wanna be in control of that," Clark stated.

"You'll learn to be... I have," Diana responded. Clark cocked his head at her. "It will take time."

"I hope so..." Clark replied and then he turned to look out over the fields. Suddenly he didn't feel like a powerful alien. Much like when he was a kid, he felt normal. He then turned to Diana and another feeling came over him. He felt loved. Clark couldn't help but to smile at her and get a little lost in how beautiful she was. He was suddenly reminded of a different time in his life.

"What?" Diana inquired, finding herself involuntarily smiling in response.

"When I was a teen..." Clark began. "Sometimes I didn't come up here alone."

"Really?" Diana asked, intrigued.

"There was a girl..." Clark said.

"Ooh," Diana teased with a grin.

"Yeah... I guess... it was the first time I had felt like that with anyone," Clark said.

"First love?" Diana asked.

"I suppose," Clark said. "After we were together awhile I stopped coming up here altogether."

"Why?" Diana questioned.

"I didn't need it," Clark answered. "I had her."

"That's nice," Diana reacted with a nod as she understood the point he was making. Clark looked around the windmill with a wistful smile on his face before his gaze settled back in Diana.

"Wanna get out of here?" Clark asked.

"You okay now?" Diana countered.

"Something tells me..." Clark began as he turned to her fully. "Maybe I won't need this place anymore."

"Kal..." Diana voiced before his lips found hers and she forgot her words.


End file.
